Boozman Joins With Menendez to Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Communities Save Lives

Statement

U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Prevent Blood Loss with Emergency Equipment Devices (BLEEDing) Act that would expand access to life-saving bleeding control kits in schools, malls, houses of worship, libraries and other gathering places in communities across the country.

"This is a simple, common sense effort to help empower Americans to administer life-saving aid in the immediate aftermath of an emergency," Boozman said. "Hundreds of thousands of Americans die every year as the result of traumatic blood loss. We have the knowledge and tools to reduce that number and save lives. By providing the access and training to use these life-saving kits, our bill will help make that possible."

"Think about the lives that can be saved in the wake of a terrible car crash, a bad accident on the job or at the skating rink, or God forbid, a mall or school shooting, if regular people had the know-how and quick access to the tools they need to stop severe bleeding before help arrives," Menendez said. "With our commonsense bill, we can save lives by expanding access to bleeding control tool kits in our schools, churches, malls, concert venues and other gathering places -- and empowering thousands of Americans with the training to use them."

A person with severe injuries can bleed to death in as little as five minutes without intervention. According to a 2018 review article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, every year, more than 60,000 people in the United States die of hemorrhagic shock.

However, many of those deaths could be prevented with immediate action to stop blood loss. The Prevent BLEEDing Act would make it easier for states to apply for funding for bleeding control kits and training through the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP).

Boozman is the lead Republican sponsor of the bill, which was authored by Menendez. Several leading organizations--including the American College of Surgeons, American College of Emergency Physicians, Society of Trauma Nurses, Trauma Center Association of America, National Association of Emergency Technicians, American Trauma Society and Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma--have offered support for the bill.

Source